Best Meal Prep!

As you may have noticed, I have taken an indefinite break from blogging. I love this blog, but am working to find a new balance in my life. Now that we are working past the pandemic, and life has gotten busier again I just feel like I have to catch my bearings again. I don’t want to loose myself in the new faster pace of life. Thank you for staying tuned.

Today I just wanted to quickly share my meal prep for the week. Recently I purchased a small case of kelp noodles. It seems that I am always on the hunt for any new “noodle” that isn’t pasta. I had them at a Poke place before, and liked them, but had forgotten about them. When I saw them on a Hungry Girl blog I ordered them immediately. Here is some info about kelp noodles: https://www.verywellfit.com/kelp-noodles-89922

With the inspiration of good friend, Stacey, who mentioned the combination of the kelp noodles with Trader Joe’s frozen Beijing vegetable mix, I put together what turned out to be one of my best work lunches ever! And it’s 0 points on WW Blue.

To my wok, I added low sodium vegetable broth, a little tamari sauce, maybe about 2 tablespoons, about a tablespoon of white miso, 2 cubes each of frozen garlic and ginger, and about a teaspoon of Sambal. That is the sauce. When that got hot, I added the frozen veggie mix and frozen edamame, and let that all cook for 5-6 minutes, stirring. Towards the end I added the chopped bok choy, and kelp noodles and let that go for another few minutes. I wanted to keep the bok choy a little crunchy.

In the meantime, I was marinating my tofu cubes according to this recipe: https://www.noracooks.com/air-fryer-tofu/ , which I went on to air fry, according to the directions given.

Kelp noodle stir fry with marinated air fried tofu

I hope you are all doing well, my friends, and continuing to take good care of yourselves!

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What Do 100 Year Olds Eat?

I came across an article this week in my April issue of Good Housekeeping (they started sending it to me for free) that I found fascinating. Did you know that there are areas of the planet known as the Blue Zones? Blue zones are areas of the world where the highest percentage of centenarians live. These areas include areas of Italy, Japan, Costa Rica, Greece, and believe it or not, Loma Linda, CA. In addition to having the highest populations of centenarians, these areas boast extremely low rates of chronic diseases such as heart disease, cancer, and diabetes.

The saying goes, “You are what you eat.” There are a few simple changes we can make to our diet in order to increase our odds of living to 100. Here are few of the common foods, which are available at our mainstream grocery stores that are popular among the centenarians.

• Legumes (especially chick peas, lentils, and fava beans)
• Eggs
• Goat and sheep milk and cheese
• Almonds
• A variety of fruits and vegetables
• Whole grains like brown rice and oatmeal
• Small amounts of fish or other lean meats
• Herbs and spices like turmeric, fennel, and garlic
• Tea and wine

In addition to eating lean and clean these people stay active. I’m not saying they run or swim miles, but they stay active by walking, gardening, and doing housework. They have a sense of purpose, things that motivate them in their every day lives. They also take time in their days to decompress whether it be by meditating, or praying. They do not eat until they are stuffed. They stop eating when they are 80% full. Lastly, they are committed to their families and friends. They take the time to nurture their relationships to reinforce healthy behaviors, and to build valuable, loving memories.

My meal prep idea for this week actually came about before I read the article that inspired me today, and it just so happens to be lentil salad. In keeping with my desire to eat mostly plant based, and with the weather turning warmer, I was drawn to this simple recipe from Skinnytaste: https://www.skinnytaste.com/lentil-salad/. Instead of making the lentils from scratch, I used Trader Joe’s steamed lentils (found in the produce section). I mixed them with Trader Joe’s mire poix, which is a mix of fresh precut carrots, onions, and celery, a red bell pepper, diced, fresh parsley, chopped, the juice of a whole lemon, about a tablespoon of olive oil (for the whole salad) and then seasoned it with dried thyme, garlic powder, salt and pepper. All of these ingredients are based off of the original recipe. Easy peasy. This will be great to eat this week with matzo. If it was not Passover, I could also eat it with rice cakes, or with my favorite crackers.

Simple Lentil Salad (0 points on WW Blue)

Speaking of Passover, here is a fresh take on toasts that I came across in the same magazine. These are made with matzo for the holiday, but I think these healthy and yummy toppings are inspiring as toast snacks on your favorite bread or crackers any time.

Here you have avocado toast with shaved cucumber, peanut butter, blueberries, and bananas, strawberries and cream, and hummus with radishes and chives.

https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/food-recipes/a35591339/matzo-toasts-recipe/

I might actually end up subscribing to Good Housekeeping. I am finding some very relevant, interesting things in there. Who knew?

Anyway, you all have a fabulous holiday week whether you are celebrating Passover or Easter. Enjoy!

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WW Connect: @mgronfein